Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 421C near Death Valley, CA — 2016-04-13

Final reportWPR16LA092
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Date
2016-04-13
Location
Death Valley, CA, USA
Airport
L06
Aircraft
CESSNA 421C
Registration
N21SG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

A runway overrun for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was landing the airplane at the end of a cross-country flight. He stated that the airplane touched down within the first 500 ft of the 3,065-ft-long runway and that, when he applied the brakes, the right brake felt "very soft" and was "totally ineffective." The airplane departed the end of the runway, and the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was not examined following the accident and was subsequently ferried to another airport for repair. No information was made available regarding the right brake, and the reason for the brake malfunction during landing could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked brakes before landing to ensure functionality.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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